Teachers’ Knowledge of Higher Order Thinking and Questioning Skills: A Case Study at a Primary

School in Terengganu, Malaysia

SUMMARY
Purpose:
The purpose of this research was to explore primary school teachers’ knowledge of higher order
thinking (HOTS) and questioning skills.

Reason:
This was done because little is known about the level of teachers’ knowledge and skills in HOTS; and
their knowledge and skills in questioning to stimulate HOTS.

Problem Statement:
1. MOE revealed 60% of 15-year-old Malaysian students who had completed lower secondary
school failed to achieve minimum proficiency level in thinking skills of knowing, applying,
reasoning and in transferring knowledge and skilled learned in classrooms for application in
the real-world.
2. Even though the Ministry has produced detailed documents of curriculum and syllabus with
state of the art teaching and learning methods and activities, but the most important factor
influencing students’ achievement in HOTS is the quality of teachers.
3. Teachers were unsuccessful in choosing the appropriate techniques, methods and
approaches of teaching for HOTS effectively.

Target Audience:
9 Teachers from SK Gong Badak, Terengganu

Method:
Semi-structure interview – Teachers understanding of the HOTS concepts
Likert type checklist – Frequencies & types of questions teacher ask to promote thinking
Observation – conduct during teaching/learning session to observe the teachers

Result reveal:
 To this end this paper employed exploratory case study to gain an in-depth understanding of
this phenomenon in the actual setting so that the actual behaviour can be examined with
minimum interference that may obstruct the reality.
 Teacher fails to explain clearly the concept of thinking & thinking processes.
 Majority of teachers could not give satisfactory explanation of HOTS as critical and creative
thinking.

PRESENTATION FLOW
Introduction:
1. Teacher readiness for HOTS – Fatin
Point #1
2. Developing HOTS – Amirul
Core Skills: Analysis, Inference Explanation, Self regulation
Point #2
3. Assessing HOTS – Shazleen
Core Skills: Evaluation, Intepretation, Self regulation
Conclusion:
Fatin